Michael W. Pritchard is a British born inventor, entrepreneur and public speaker.
Michael was born in Epsom, Surrey in 1967. He was educated at Gordonstoun School and went to the University of Redlands in California USA. At the age of 18 he competed at international level winning a gold medal as part of the 4 x 100 metre relay team.
Michael started his business career selling Apple computers into the then fledgling desktop publishing market. He remained within the computer industry for approximately 10 years. He worked in the city as Business Development Director for the Wace Group plc and then in 1998 co-founded ZagMe.com a mobile marketing company.
In 2000 Michael started his own business. As well as owning a successful property business,Michael is Chairman of LIFESAVER systems.
Michael is best known for developing the LIFESAVER bottle, the world's first ultra-filtration bottle, which allows local sources of water to be safely drunk. Michael developed the bottle as he got angry at the tragic waste of life and serious humanitarian problems caused by the lack of safe drinking water in the wake of the Tsunami disaster in 2004. Subsequently, Michael has expanded the LIFESAVER product range to include the LIFESAVER jerrycan which incorporates his ultra filtration technology and delivers safe drinking water in increased volumes.
With cutting-edge nanotech, Michael Pritchard's Lifesaver water-purification bottle could revolutionize water-delivery systems in disaster-stricken areas around the globe.
"On the outside, it looks like an ordinary sports bottle. On the inside, there's a miracle: an extremely advanced filtration system that makes murky water filled with deadly viruses and bacteria completely clean in just seconds."
During August 2009 Michael appeared on the BBC TV programme Dragon's Den pitching his new invention, the ANYWAY spray, a pump spray that allows every last drop of liquid to be used in multi-directional household product sprays with significant practical and environmental benefits.
In September 2010 LIFESAVER bottle became one of the fifteen British inventions included in the British Library's exhibition 'Inventing the 21st Century'.
---
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
www.tedxgateway.com
www.ted.com